Researchers have identified 13,129 classifications of soil and that 31 of those&nbsp;soil classifications&nbsp;are nearly extinct. The reason are due to agricultural effects or other land usage. The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society reported that&nbsp;soils found on less than 25,000 acres are already considered rare and that these&nbsp;rare soils are commonly found in agricultural regions, such as the Midwestern sections of the United States.&nbsp; After analyzing maps on soil types, agricultural use and urban growth, researchers found that 80% of rare soils are half as abundant as they had been before their conversion to agricultural or urban use. The reason for soil disruption is an increase in carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.&nbsp;&nbsp;Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, determined that 20% of all carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere results from human activity, such as farming. Referencing the American Meteorological Society, years ago they conducted a contest&nbsp; to answer the question: "What's a word or short phrase for a snow that shuts down schools for the day?"&nbsp; One response explained that snow hitting the schoolyard was a "Blizzyard."&nbsp; Another entry was "scis" for "school closed, ice/snow."&nbsp; Instead of following the guidelines for the question one entry was "snowverwhelmed," a word that described the state of parents caught off-guard by boisterous kids instead of a blizzard-closing snow-out. The entry "snump" can be used as a noun or verb, describing that the snowy conditions prevented one from doing what they intended to do. Back then the winner received the 854-page Glossary of Meteorology with a catchy word - "emanciprecipitation."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just 33 days remain until the end of Winter. The first European settlers arrived in North America unprepared for the climate that awaited them. Harsh weather greeted these visitors to the New World with extreme cold and unbearable heat. In 1604, French explorers established a colony on an island in Maine's St. Croix River. The winter was so cold that they relocated to Nova Scotia. There were 105 colonists who settled at Jamestown, Va. Only 32 survived the famous Cold Winter of 1607-08. The winter of 1620-21 was reportedly mild, but only 50 of the 102 settlers of Plymouth, Mass. lasted until spring. By 1638, the first printing press arrived in Cambridge, Mass. and "Pierce's Almanac Calculated for New England" was printed. The almanac, which comes from the Arabic "al manaka" meaning "the reckoning," offered tables for tides and astronomical events. Besides the almanac, the only reading material was the Bible. In closing, "The storm paralyzed the entire Northeast, immobilizing everyone. New York and D.C. were cut-off from the rest of the country. Albany picked up 47 inches of snow and Troy, NY, recorded 55 inches. Trains inbound and outbound of New York City were foundered in drifted snow, paralyzing the the rail system. Ferry crossings were rendered impossible due to rough waters as the Brooklyn Bridge became Manhattan's last link with the outside world. Ice floes that were wedged together on the East River formed a tenuous crossing. Once the tide went out, the ice broke, leaving 100 trapped on the floes. As the snow tapered off, residents emerged from their homes and began the process of digging out.." These were excerpts from the "Old Farmer's Almanac, Acts of God" concerning the blizzard of 1888 where meteorologists claim a storm this size occurs once every four or five hundred years.&nbsp;

We&rsquo;ve identified Seasonal Affective Disorder that occurs from the end of December through March, causing episodes of depression, increased appetite, daytime sleepiness and less energy. Researchers have determined that rates of depression and sadness among the general population of the Netherlands were highest in summer and fall due to heat.&nbsp; Examples of increased aggression were identified with rising temperatures.&nbsp; A study in the 1980&rsquo;s determined that eight weather variables corresponded with mood outcomes.&nbsp; These variables included: hours of sunshine, precipitation, temperature, wind direction, humidity, and barometric pressure. Researchers determined that high humidity caused less concentration. Sleepiness and increased pleasantness occurred in low humidity conditions. Netherlands researcher&rsquo;s also identified four categories where people react to the weather. The list includes: &ldquo;Summer Lovers,&rdquo; &ldquo;Rain Haters,&rdquo; &ldquo;Summer Haters,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Unaffected.&rdquo;

Alaska holds the distinction of being the largest state in area and almost twice the size of Texas.&nbsp; It is also home to America&rsquo;s tallest peak, Mount McKinley at 20,320 feet and its glaciers constitute 29,000 square miles.&nbsp; In Barrow, the Sun is below the horizon from November 20 through January 22. According to NOAA, six of the top 25 windiest cities in the United States are in Alaska and St. Paul Island ranks as the second-windiest location behind Mt. Washington, N.H. Weather extremes in Alaska include the lowest temperature at -80 degrees at Prospect Creek Camp and the highest at 100 degrees at Fort Yukon.&nbsp; The highest one day snowfall occurred in Thompson Pass with 62 inches on December 29, 1955. In closing and as you prepare your Valentine card, a reminder that it comes from of an interesting legend.&nbsp; While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with the jailor&rsquo;s daughter who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed... "From your Valentine."&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve located a few Valentine&rsquo;s Day cities and one that I best not mention near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. There&rsquo;s lots of warmth today in Valentine, Nebraska.&nbsp; Loveland, Colorado and Loveland, Ohio and Loveland, Oklahoma. Plenty of&nbsp; look rose deliveries today in Belle Rose and St. Rose, Louisiana. Valentine's Day, 1895, and the all-time single snow event for our state recorded in Rayne, LA as two feet was reported.

I noticed that Erie, Pennsylvania recorded the largest snow accumulation for the season at 157 inches!&nbsp; We have now registered 20 freezes this season with 39 days left in the season of Winter.&nbsp; Rewinding... The cold blast of February 1899 was one of the most severe ever recorded.&nbsp; All-time record lows were logged in Milligan, OH at minus 39 degrees and Camp Clarke, NE at -47.&nbsp; Local and state records were posted at Tallahassee and Minden, LA with a frigid minus 16 degrees.&nbsp; All time record lows are still on the books in Dallas at -8, Kansas City at -22 and Washington D.C. at -15.&nbsp; Adding to the super cold was a super blizzard from New Hampshire to Georgia with Virginia recording 40 inches of snow. The cold blast also made it to Baton Rouge as ice-floes blocked the Mississippi River at New Orleans for the second time in history.

In the early days of firefighting, getting the wet stuff onto the red stuff was a task.&nbsp; Bucket brigades were recognized as the best method of firefighting and &ldquo;stand pipes&rdquo; were positioned and attached to the municipal water systems.&nbsp; Freezing weather became an obstacle to fight the fire and to prevent a frozen line, traditional fire plugs were covered with manure, tanbark or straw. As the plug evolved to the hydrant, above ground nozzles were configured to avoid mud, snow and ice. Years ago a "stick" resembling an antenna was attached to a hydrant. During episodes of extreme snowfall and accumulation the antennas identified the hydrant to assist the firefighters in dousing the fire. Years ago, we shoveled snow from sidewalks and driveways as it was also our responsibility to clear the snow from the hydrant on our property.

Years ago, Don Briggs experimented with an exercise that is enjoyed by many during the winter season.&nbsp; While working on a neighbor&rsquo;s farm he creatively advanced a winter recreation in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Briggs duplicated a sport that is usually confined to steep mountains well known as ice climbing.&nbsp; With a garden hose and shower heads he watered down a 70-foot grain silo and with temperatures ranging from zero to minus 17, he instantly created the ice mountain.&nbsp; Briggs believed that if you build it they will climb it and that was certainly the case then and has been replicated by others for years.&nbsp; Climbers are tethered to the silos as they straddle stalactites of ice.&nbsp; In addition to the dozens of adventure seeking climbers, some as far away as China, it&rsquo;s also a huge ice sculpture attraction enjoyed by enthusiasts.

We have recorded 20 freezes this season, needing 14 more to shatter the record dating back to 1940. As temperatures drop, the body attempts to generate more heat by shivering, a condition that increases muscle tone and heat. The record for cold weather survival began on February 2, 1967 when Canadian bush pilot Robert Gauchie ran out of fuel near the Arctic Circle.&nbsp; Forced to land, he withstood temperatures of 48 degrees below zero. He was not rescued for 58 days and lost 54 pounds while suffering five frostbitten toes.&nbsp; Gauchie spent most of his time inside the plane, tucked under six sleeping bags and consuming raw fish and emergency rations. He was saved by a persistent rescue pilot after extensive searches were canceled. Another wintry note includes the biggest blizzard in southern New England&rsquo;s history that banged Boston and coastal areas on February 6, 1978. For the first time in its 106-year-history, the Boston Globe was unable to deliver its paper.&nbsp; Acts of God-The Old Farmer&rsquo;s Almanac notes in its &ldquo;Blizzard Hall of Fame,&rdquo; the Great Snow of 1717 was a series of four storms that extended to March 7th with five feet of snow in New England. Newspaper accounts reported that 95 percent of New England&rsquo;s deer population died.

John Jeffries was a Boston physician, scientist, and a military surgeon with the British Army during the Revolutionary War. He is also recognized as the first weatherman and an early balloonist. He accompanied Jean-Pierre Blanchard in 1785 as their balloon crossed the English Channel. During the flight, Dr. Jeffries took weather readings with a thermometer, barometer, and hydrometer - to measure humidity, an electrometer - to determine electrical activity, a timepiece, compass and telescope.&nbsp; He also used a ribbon and scissors to determine the rise and fall of the balloon and a pen and pencil to ascertain if thin air affected their use.&nbsp; Born on February 4, 1744, yesterday was recognized as National Weatherman&rsquo;s Day as I have been one for 42 years. Another weather item recognizes what was then called the "Wind of the Century." This was named by the British during the second week of January, 1968 as 125 mile-per-hour winds blew out of the Irish Sea causing blizzards and hurricane-force winds from England to Iran. Hundreds were injured, with at least 20 people dead as Scotland experienced the worst with 16 causalities. Houses in Glasgow and Scotland were toppled, leaving hundreds homeless. At Great Dun Fell, the highest wind speed ever recorded in England and Wales was 134 mph. Destructive winds swept across Denmark, Germany and Switzerland with heavy snow in Jerusalem and a first time snowfall in Beersheba in the Negev Desert.&nbsp;

On February 4, 1999, Fairbanks, Alaska was 42 degrees below zero making it the latest date in the season that the high stayed at -40 or lower.&nbsp; That same year on February 3rd, 120 mile-per-hour winds roared across the front range of Colorado causing $3 million in damage. Power lines were sheared for more than a mile from Lafayette, CO.&nbsp; Another February 3rd event&nbsp; found an ice storm in Buffalo, NY in 1883 that sealed a weather instrument shelter that was chopped open. Finally, the only tropical storm to hit the United States happened on February 2, 1952. It crossed south Florida with 60 m.p.h winds and 2 to 4 inches of rain. Possibly of additional interest, the Florentine Codex is an account of the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the mid-sixteenth century.&nbsp; It was an almanac and journal of virtually every aspect of the campaign including weather events. The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society discovered that the Codex identified the earliest documented tornado in the Americas in August, 1521. In Book XII, prior to the fall of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, a heavy storm was accompanied by a whirlwind that struck the Basin of Mexico.&nbsp; The whirlwind hovered above Tlatelolco, Tenochtitlan&rsquo;s twin city, before moving to a nearby lake and disappearing.&nbsp; Researchers have compared this account with contemporary European descriptions of tornadoes and waterspouts, verifying the tornado. It also predates the Cambridge, MA tornado of 1680, representing the earliest documented twister in the Americas.

January 29, 1966, found the mercury slipping to 20 degrees for the coldest daytime high for the date.&nbsp; On January 30, 1966, it dropped to 15, setting another record.&nbsp; The true freezing point of water is known as the ice point and in 1966 the final days of January found the daytime highs staying below the freeze or ice point. Years ago I worked with an engineer, John White, who filmed a frozen City Park Lake. I used the video in the 70s and 80s to commemorate the date showcasing many Baton Rougeans donning their ice skates for the skating extravaganza. Our recent episode of freezing rain, ice pellets, ice and snow also prompted episodes of glaze. Glaze is a smooth coating of transparent ice that forms when super cooled water droplets hit walls, trees, roads and other objects during below-freezing weather. Glaze is heavy and sticks to objects that it coats. Containing no air bubbles, it appears clear and smooth like glass. When freezing rain hits a cold object, glaze can layer several inches thick. This causes dangerous driving conditions on highways along with broken poles and power lines. The Great Southern Glaze Storm of 1951 occurred at the end of January. It was one of the most destructive storms in history, covering the upper and middle South in a sheath of ice 100 miles wide from Louisiana northeastward to West Virginia. It still remains as one of the costliest winter storms on record with an estimated $100 million in damage. It exceeded all other single storm damage for the area except for hurricanes.

The Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire records some of the coldest temperatures in the country. This verifies the definition of two winters, the astronomical winter starting December 21 and ending March 21 and the meteorological winter for those that live farther north. As the meteorological winter is based upon weather, the astronomical winter is based on earth's position in orbit around the sun. The meteorological winter happens only when the average temperature stays below 30 degrees for three months and where the snow depth averages 10 inches for the same period. Some researchers contend that true winter occurs in less than a third of the country on a line from Boston to Salt Lake City to Anchorage. From winter's there to where we grew up... George Seaman raised Beagle dogs for rabbit hunting in the woods of Pennsylvania. George designed a dog pen that included pens at one end and an elevated open area that afforded them a place where they could &ldquo;do their business.&rdquo; The meshed pen allowed the dog droppings to fall through the bottom to the ground below. Our snowball battles stretched between the Minnet and Sudano yards, criss-crossing George&rsquo;s property. The rules of engagement stressed that no &ldquo;foreign objects&rdquo; could be injected into a snowball, such as stones and gravel.&nbsp; My brother Kevin abided by the rules but creatively inserted the frozen &ldquo;do-do&rdquo; from George&rsquo;s beagles into the snowball. His direct hit on Johnnie Cornelius&rsquo; noggin&rsquo; met with the delight of many. Johnnie wasn&rsquo;t a favorite in the neighborhood.

In 1678, the towns of Fieschertal and Fiesch, located in the Swiss Alps, were flooded because of the Aletsch glacier. The flooding empowered residents to take a formal vow, praying that the Aletsch glacier would stop growing.&nbsp; In addition to the prayer intentions, an annual procession was initiated to reduce the ice mass.&nbsp; For more than 300 years, the glacier shrunk, at a moderate rate, and reduced the threat of flooding. Scientists determined that the glacier decreased 3.5 kilometers over three centuries. Recently, those same prayerful intentions for a reduction led to a decrease&nbsp; of fresh water. The lack of water encouraged the residents to reverse their prayer intentions and have returned to praying for the glacier&rsquo;s growth. Years ago, Pope Benedict XVI intervened with a special intention which is similar to the original vow initiated by Pope Innocent XI.

Researchers determined that layers of soil in sections of North America contained fossilized organic matter like fungus, fecal pellets, and charcoal.&nbsp; This same material was thought to be caused by a period of abrupt and intense cold that occurred 12,800 years ago and is related to Younger Dryas. Scientists believe that Younger Dryas was triggered by an &ldquo;impact event&rsquo; such as a meteor striking the Earth or exploding in space. The result was a massive firestorm that killed early North American inhabitants and most animals in addition to saturating the atmosphere with ash and dust.&nbsp; That amount of residue reduced radiation and cooled the planet.&nbsp; Geophyscial Research Letters reported that it is unlikely a meteor explosion could have generated the intense heat. In closing, we enjoyed an episode of snow on December 8th and a different snow-ice episode last week. In March, 1988, Myron L. Ace entered the Guinness Book of World Records by constructing a 63.5 foot snowman in Anchorage, Alaska.&nbsp; Myron&rsquo;s giant sculpture was finalized with the assistance of eight friends, one of whom was a skilled crane operator lifting 8-inch snow blocks to shape the snowman. Named &ldquo;Super Frosty&rdquo; it took three weeks to complete. Upon its completion, Myron's hometown was hit with a 70 m.p.h. dust storm that turned the masterpiece into &ldquo;Super Brown Frosty.&rdquo;

Our weather shifts from warm and dry to wet and cold could be sending some to the Doc&rsquo;s office. Hopefully, you're not "under the weather" today. Weather ranks as a determining factor in numerous categories. The yield of the harvest and the price of food are determined by the weather. In business and industry, companies depend on more extensive forecasts to ensure productivity. Viewers share with me their arthritic aches during episodes of changing weather and it&rsquo;s certainly a determining factor in the movement of airborne viruses. Many years ago when sailors were on deck and the elements and the motion of the ocean made them sick, they were ordered below deck to ride out the storm or get &ldquo;under the weather." In closing, January 2018 for Baton Rouge has already been categorized as a "strange weather month." Here are few items from days-gone-by making the same category. Steam was billowing from the paper mills of Green Bay, WI, on Jan.15, 1999. The steam was trapped under an inversion causing the moisture in the clouds to coalesce into snowflakes. Downwind of the mills, the town of Allouez reported an inch of artificially produced snow.&nbsp; You've heard of lake-effect snow but "ocean-effect' snows occurred on Massachusetts' Nantucket Island on Jan.17, 1997.&nbsp; Arctic air, blown by west, southwest winds over the warm ocean water, dumped 8 inches of snow between the mainland and the island. In 1973, a baby was carried 400 yards by the winds of an F2 tornado near Corey in Caldwell Parish.

Miriam Johnson was our piano teacher and her three worst students were me and my brothers Denis and Michael.&nbsp; More interested in sports than classical music, it was a challenge for Mom to ensure that daily practices were completed.&nbsp; As noted in a previous column, Saturday morning&rsquo;s lesson included a mile walk to Miriam&rsquo;s house on Spring Ave in all types of weather.&nbsp; January winter&rsquo;s were tricky, regardless of how &ldquo;bundled&rdquo; you were for the journey.&nbsp; Inevitably our hands were fresh frozen when we reached the side door to her home.&nbsp; Therapy for frozen hands included a regimen of running cold water onto your digits, followed by warm then hot.&nbsp; I&rsquo;m not sure if she charged my Mom extra for the water before we &ldquo;tickled the ivories.&rdquo; Heading out on-a-limb, there is a possibility we could experience something that occurred in Baton Rouge years ago - ice floes. Currently Lake Erie is frozen over with the other Great Lakes not far behind. I remember providing a live shot in the late 80s when chunks of ice were floating in the Mississippi and finally making it to the Gulf.&nbsp; During the winters of '93-'94, most of the Great Lake's surface was solid.&nbsp; In '79, all of the Great Lakes were frozen.&nbsp; On Memorial Day, '96, picnickers along Lake Superior's shoreline, cooled their drinks with chunks of ice floating in the lake.

Since January we have had numerous fires and unfortunate deaths due to home heaters. Folks that use space heaters don't realize how much heat it puts out. Nationally, space heaters are blamed for more than 1,500 fires every year with an estimated 70 deaths and $58 million in damage. The problems occur when flammable materials are placed too close to a space heater. The proper distance is a minimum of three feet. Another safety rule involves extension cords. Lightweight cords aren't equipped to handle the amperage for this type of heater and at 350 degrees, the average cord would melt, causing a flash fire especially under a carpet. A final rule is insuring that the space heater has a heat sensor and automatic-shut-off.&nbsp; Today we will register our 16th freeze of the season whereby last year for the total season we recorded seven. You may start your day with a warm breakfast that includes oatmeal, grits, pancakes or waffles accompanied by a piping-hot cup of Community Coffee. Our mother got us going with another breakfast warmer called "mush." Similar to "couscous," mush is also made from corn meal and mixed with milk. Grandma Shirley would mix and boil the cornmeal recipe, pour it into a Pyrex dish or tray and refrigerate it. The next morning it was sliced into half-inch squares and fried. We would then smatter the hot mush with butter and syrup. With a hot mug of homemade cocoa, we were ready for another outdoor freeze.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Erie, Pennsylvania recorded its largest, single and two-day, amount of snowfall since record keeping in the late 1800s. More than five feet of "lake-effect'" snow was placed on the city and surrounding counties and states.&nbsp; My first institution of higher learning was Gannon University in Erie, PA.&nbsp; In the Fall of 2016, we visited Niagara, New York and Erie including the old "stomping grounds." I re-visited the&nbsp;University buildings, fraternity house and the location of my first radio stint on State Street.&nbsp; Years ago, students would refer to it as the "Mistake on the Lake." There were no class-closings and getting to class in what is termed a snow, "white-out" meant holding onto ropes tied to the Maple Trees on Peach Street.&nbsp; During the winters of '93-'94, most of the Great Lake's surface was solid and this is expected to occur this year.&nbsp; In 1979, all of the Great Lakes were frozen.&nbsp; On Memorial Day, 1996, picnickers along Lake Superior's shoreline, cooled their drinks with chunks of ice floating in the lake.&nbsp; Here, we use sand on bridges during episodes of freezing weather.&nbsp; In the snow-belt locations, salt is valued and snow fences are placed near highways to prevent drifts onto the roadway. The fence reduces wind speed and increases turbulence, causing the snow to pile downwind of the fence. Our two snow episodes on December 8, 2017 and January 16, 2018 have only occurred three times since record keeping at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport.

With wind chill values at 6 degrees this morning, possibly this story amy be appropriate...In the 1880s, Dr. Charles Fleet invented Chapstick. The tubular ointment contains camphor, bees wax, menthol, petrolatum, phenol and aloe. Chapstick sales increase during the winter months. One ingredient used in Chapstick was also useful for another ailment. Personal hygiene was certainly limited in comparison to&nbsp; current regimes. Those that contracted acne and smallpox scars found that severe scars developed in adulthood. Therefore the treatment for scars wasbee's wax. Pictures discovered today identify women with their faces layered with bee's wax to fill and smooth their complexion. Another item includes episodes of "gossipy" conversation or "staring," at a face-infused with the wax, thus the customary retort was "mind your own bee's wax." A smiling face, loaded with wax dried wax initiated another expression, "crack a smile." Finally, sitting too close to the fireplace began the a similar expression, "you are losing face." There you have it!

Another Hard Freeze Warning is posted for tonight and Wednesday with Winter Weather Advisories and Wind Chill Alerts in place. Not temperatures, years ago, scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology successfully captured the coldest temperature ever recorded. They cooled sodium gas to one-half-billionth a degree above absolute zero, which turns out to be -459.69 degrees Fahrenheit. The event appeared in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Science has proven that at absolute zero, no further cooling is possible and virtually all motion stops as the cold removes all energy from particles. At this extreme temperature not only are atoms unable to be stored in containers, there are no containers that can handle that type of cold. By using a "gravito-magnetic trap" the atoms were stored through a process whereby magnetic fields and gravitational forces combined to confine the atoms. Today, this research offers valuable information on the actions of cold atoms. From the cold to waves...&ldquo;Project Seal&rdquo; was a top-secret operation between the United States and New Zealand. The Telegraph reports that filmmaker Ray Waru uncovered the secret operation while researching buried military files in the national archives.&nbsp; The project involved testing a &ldquo;tsunami bomb&rdquo; during World War II.&nbsp; Military experts decided that the flooding of coastal Japanese cities was a second option to the atomic bomb. The plan included detonating a series of ten offshore blasts designed to create a 33-foot tsunami capable of flooding a city.&nbsp; In 1944, blasting operations were ordered to clear coral reefs in the Pacific and a naval officer recognized the large waves produced by the operations. The plan was shelved when experts concluded that a successful mission would necessitate detonating a four million pounder five miles offshore.